A power generating station is an industrial machine or plant for the generation of mechanical, hydrodynamic or electric power. At the center of nearly all power generating stations is a generator, which typically includes a rotating machine that converts mechanical power into electrical power by creating relative motion between a magnetic field and a conductor. The energy source harnessed to turn the generator varies widely—from moving water and wind, to fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas) and nuclear material. In recent times, however, due to the decreasing reserves of fossil fuels and the environmental impact of their use in power generation, cleaner and abundant alternatives for the generation of power have become more popular. One of the cleaner alternatives is hydropower; however, hydropower is limited by size of lakes held in reservoirs or behind dams. Such water has a potential power that, when released, will be delivering energy in a certain form. The standard form utilized nowadays is allowing water flow to rotate a turbine at maximum velocity point of the energy curve of the turbine to generate maximum power. In one theoretical example, in a 200 foot high system, 5 feet diameter Wheel/Turbine, 30″ bucket area, at 400 GPM flow we calculated 15 KW theoretically available power, which if deployed to multiple pumps to pumping water back to 200 feet high, at 40% efficiency, we may expect about 160 GPM pumping output. In our method, we utilized same potential energy over same turbine, to directly drive a pump, by utilizing another, higher torque point of the energy curve, at about 10% turbine velocity and 90% of torque (by controlling and lowering flow using a valve under turbine), such method will not change the value of available potential power, but instead will move the point of energy utilization on curve toward maximum torque, minimizing flow to 40 GPM, and also minimizing available power to 1.5 KW, however adding to the shafts additional driving force of about 2600 lbf, (and a torque output energy equivalent to about 4500 ft-lbf) where 1 ft-lbf is enough energy to lift one pound, one foot vertically per second, allowing theoretically to pump about 160 gallons per minute to 200 feet high reservoir, with only 40 GPM down flow, In this alternative method, we have 120 GPM net pumping gain available to be dropped back over second turbine in a 200 feet high housing, to generate what we calculated about 4 KW energy as usual but without depleting the upper reservoir or lake.
With regard to the economy of energy generation, theoretical calculations show that having at least two turbines and a pump in sequence, as per the above-described method, yields similar number of Watts generated per Gallon of flow by the last in series turbine, but without depleting upper reservoir or lake behind a dam. Energy production then is only limited to the number of utilized turbines rather than the size of the lake behind the dam or the size of the upper reservoir. Limits on the amount of energy available from hydrodynamic installations will be eliminated and hydrodynamic energy may cover 100% of our human energy needs. The cost of already cheap but limited hydrodynamic energy production will further decrease when a Dam's potential of energy utilization is increased
Hydropower is limited. Hydroelectricity refers to electricity generated by hydropower, i.e., the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling water. However, the limited availability of hydropower may be solved by utilizing synergic assemblies of turbines where we may have the energy production process pass into multiple steps before finally a certain controlled flow may be advanced to production turbine, and where the net energy produced, is dependent on height and number of turbines. The alternative method shall consist of at least two turbines and pumping device per assembly.
Pump utilization of energy increases with high head pressure. Another major problem with hydroelectric power, is in low utilization times, where a PSH system is utilized to save the non-utilized power, by pumping water back to higher level reservoir to have it regain its potential power, however the main issue in the PSH method is the low efficiency, where energy is spent on overcoming high head or resistance. To save power we need to not waste more power, but instead we need to utilize higher suction torque energy that may be obtained without requiring high volume of water flow. In our method high suction torque is delivered to pump or jet from a first turbine to secure pumping capacity without need to spend more Watts, however the minimal flow allowed through first turbine will be deducted from the overall pumping volume to calculate the net pumping volume.
Connecting a pump or jet to a turbine wheel, utilizing a gear or shaft may create a hoist like levering system but with having the bigger force and bigger arm (wheel torque and diameter), situated on one side of the lever. In an ordinary hoist, such set up results in distance gain causing the hoist wire to allow utilization limited to the length of the wire. In our system water flow replaces the hoist wires and the gain in distance is actually a gain in pumping flow speed, where for every gallon falls from top to bottom of the housing to driving the wheel, we have more gallons pumped from bottom to top of the housing causing net gain in gravitational energy storage. FIG. 12
Therefore, a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above, and particularly for a more efficient way of providing cleaner, more abundant, more environmentally friendly and recycling alternatives for power generation, namely, hydroelectric power generation.